Feeling unsafe with ADHD (Laura Mears-Reynolds’ story)
Laura Mears-Reynolds had reached a breaking point with anxiety and depression—until she realized something deeper was going on. She didn’t feel safe in her own hands, and she knew she needed help. What she didn’t know? ADHD was at the root of it all.The UK-based host of the ADHD AF podcast joins ADHD Aha! to share how understanding her brain finally helped her shed shame, find self-acceptance, and build a thriving community. Her message is clear: You’re not broken—and you’re definitely not alone.Related resourcesAmerican Foundation for Suicide PreventionLaura’s podcast and community website, adhdasfemales.comADHD and depressionADHD and anxietyTimestamps(02:37) The most ADHD thing that’s happened this week(03:29) Laura’s ADHD diagnosis story, and crisis point(07:20) Identifying as naive and overly trusting(10:18) Laura’s ADHD “aha” moments(13:02) A constant level of chaos, and assuming (what ended up being) ADHD symptoms were from partying a lot(15:18) The “little” ADHD things that add up and cause shame(17:27) Struggling with the “ADHD superpower” narrative(19:50) How would life have been different with an earlier diagnosis?(21:21) How Laura’s life has changed since her diagnosis, and creating the ADHD AF podcastFor a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdaha@understood.org or record a message for us here.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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30:52
How an ADHD diagnosis was lost and found again (Nikki Daye’s story)
Nikki Daye, a school psychologist and ADHD advocate, grew up in the foster care system. She was diagnosed with ADHD as a child, but her medical records were eventually lost. As she got older, her ADHD diagnosis wasn’t considered. Instead, her symptoms were misdiagnosed as anxiety, PTSD, and bipolar disorder. While her ADHD diagnosis was “lost in translation,” Nikki spent a lot of time feeling misunderstood and unsupported. It wasn’t until adulthood that she finally got the clarity she needed. Now, she’s using her experience to advocate for kids with ADHD, including her own daughter.Related resources6 ways ADHD and PTSD can look alikeADHD and traumaTimestamps(01:18) Nikki’s first ADHD diagnosis as a teenager(03:30) Nikki’s experience with echolalia (05:27) ADHD treatment, speculating other diagnoses, and medical records being lost while in foster care(09:11) “Aging out” of her ADHD diagnosis, and coming back to it(15:08) Nikki’s intersectional “aha” moments (20:33) Nikki’s work helping kids like her, and her daughterFor a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdaha@understood.org or record a message for us here.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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27:42
ADHD, autism, and the pressure to be “man enough” (Shane Thrapp’s story)
Shane Thrapp always felt different. As an adult, he found out he has both ADHD and autism — two parts of his brain that sometimes work against each other. In this episode, Shane shares the weight of masking his symptoms, and how society’s ideas about “real men” can make it even harder to speak up. Today, Shane is helping other men with ADHD as the Operations Director of the Men’s ADHD Support Group. He’s on a mission to show that being yourself shows more strength than pretending to be someone you’re not.Related resourcesWhat is AuDHD?The Men’s ADHD Support GroupTimestamps(01:19) Shane’s ADHD and autism diagnoses story(05:48) The three-way battle between ADHD and autism(09:12) How is Shane as a boss? (10:21) Learning social cues, trying on identities, and societal expectations(15:04) The Men’s ADHD Support Group, and building a community that supports each other in healthy ways(18:34) The biggest misconceptions about men with ADHD(21:38) Building a world that’s better for his childrenFor a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! Show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdaha@understood.org or record a message for us here.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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25:55
A breakup, an intense reaction, and the ADHD questions surrounding it all (Danielle Elliot’s story)
Danielle Elliot was considering breaking up with her partner...and then he broke up with her first. Danielle had a “big, out of character” reaction: By 4am that night she was packed and ready to leave. The whole experience left her feeling unsettled. Why had she reacted that way? That sparked a deep dive into rejection sensitivity and ADHD.Danielle is a health and science journalist who’s now asking a bigger question: Why are so many women being diagnosed with ADHD — and why now?She explores this in Understood.org’s new limited-series podcast, Climbing the Walls. Listen to Danielle’s personal story here — then check out Climbing the Walls on your podcast platform of choice. Related resourcesListen to the Climbing the Walls podcastADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)ADHD breakups: Impulsive texts and overthinking regrets, from Sorry, I Missed ThisTimestamps(01:26) Danielle’s pandemic diagnosis after a strong reaction to a break up(08:26) Danielle’s need to travel(12:15) Danielle’s relationship with relationships, and rejection(16:02) Hosting Understood.org’s Climbing the Walls podcastFor a transcript and more resources, visit the ADHD Aha! show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdaha@understood.org, or record a message for us here.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
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30:32
I didn’t want to have ADHD (from the Climbing the Walls podcast)
In this bonus episode, we’re sharing the first episode of a new Understood.org podcast, Climbing the Walls. Climbing the Walls is an investigative limited-series podcast that explores why women were historically underdiagnosed with ADHD — and how the recent surge in diagnoses is reshaping our understanding of ADHD.In this episode, host Danielle Elliot finds herself among the many women diagnosed with ADHD during the pandemic, and she gets curious. Why women? And why now? This question takes her to northern Michigan, to meet a friend’s mom.For more on this topic:Listen to Climbing the WallsADHD and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD)Older women with ADHD: How the lost generation got foundFor a transcript and more resources, visit the Climbing the Walls show page on Understood.org. We love hearing from our listeners! Email us at adhdaha@understood.org.
Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give
Listen to people share candid stories about the moment it clicked that they have ADHD. Host Laura Key, who’s had her own ADHD “aha” moment, chats with guests about common topics like ADHD and shame, mental health challenges, and more. Through heartfelt interviews, listeners learn about the unexpected, emotional, and even funny ways ADHD symptoms surface for kids and adults.
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